It’s not that easy to find jokes about superabsorbent hydrophilic polymers… unless you have a dry sense of humor. (Get it?) Why not insert a bit of humor into your next quiz or homework page? Extra points for students who guess the right answers to our riddles!

If you have a favorite cartoon or joke, we invite you to share it as a comment below.

What do artificial snow and baby diapers have in common? Some folks may scratch their heads, but if you’re a science teacher you probably already know the answer(s): they both contain sodium polyacrylate, and they both fall into the fascinating category of SAPs—superabsorbent polymers. These polymers simply LOVE water!

This edition of our newsletter is all about hydrophilic, or water loving, materials. We’re proud to share these comments from science loving teachers!

Educational Innovations’ Growing Spheres can be used to add a note of ‘horror’ to your classroom or home Halloween experience. Once fully expanded, Growing Spheres have an index of refraction almost identical to that of water. This means that when the Growing Spheres are placed in water, they are nearly invisible.

Materials:

A large (2 qt or larger) translucent plastic storage container and lid.